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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · lean · rush · track · prune · kick · bowl · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. track — a path
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. lean — thin
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. lean — to bend
  13. track — a song
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. track — to keep track
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. kick — in football
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rush — hurry
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com